NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) and First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) today
announced an agreement for First Solar to provide engineering,
procurement and construction (EPC) services for NRG's 66 megawatt (AC)
Alpine solar project in Lancaster, Calif. First Solar will also provide
operations and maintenance (O&M) services. Electricity from the Alpine
project will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement with
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, helping California meet its ambitious
renewable energy goals.

Construction is expected to start before the end of 2011 and be
completed in Q3 2012, creating an estimated 250 jobs over the course of
construction. The project will use First Solar's advanced thin film
photovoltaic (PV) modules.

The electricity generated by Alpine is enough to serve a yearly average
of nearly 25,000 homes, and more than double that number at maximum
capacity during peak hours of the day. The project is expected to offset
approximately 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases over 20 years,
the equivalent of taking over 15,000 cars off the road annually.

“Less than two years ago, NRG and First Solar began our productive
collaboration for our first solar plant at Blythe, which at 21 megawatts
was the largest solar plant in California at the time. Alpine is three
times that size, so we've really come a long way together in a short
amount of time,” said Tom Doyle, president of NRG's Solar and West
Region. “Working with world-class companies like First Solar, NRG's
solar projects promote cleaner air, create hundreds of local jobs and
advance our country's position in the global clean energy economy.”

“First Solar is excited to be working again with NRG,” said Jim Lamon,
First Solar Senior Vice President for EPC and O&M. “Our experience
developing and building out our 2.7 gigawatt North American pipeline of
utility-scale PV projects enables us to get our customers' projects
rapidly completed and connected to the grid.”

About NRG and NRG Solar

NRG is at the forefront of changing how people think about and use
energy. A Fortune 500 company, NRG is a pioneer in developing cleaner
and smarter energy choices for our customers: whether as one of the
largest solar power developers in the country, or by building the first
privately funded electric vehicle charging infrastructure or by giving
customers the latest smart energy solutions to better manage their
energy use. Our diverse power generating facilities can support over 20
million homes and our retail electricity providers—Reliant, Green
Mountain Energy Company and Energy Plus—serve more than 2 million
customers.

NRG Solar LLC, a subsidiary of NRG, has more than 2,000 MW of
photovoltaic and solar thermal projects under development or in
construction across the southwestern United States. More information is
available at www.nrgenergy.com
and www.nrgsolarenergy.com.

Safe Harbor Disclosure

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are
subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and include
NRG's expectations regarding the Alpine Solar Project and
forward-looking statements typically can be identified by the use of
words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe” and similar terms. Although
NRG believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give no
assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct, and
actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those contemplated above include,
among others, general economic conditions, hazards customary in the
power industry, weather conditions, competition in wholesale power
markets, the volatility of energy and fuel prices, failure of customers
to perform under contracts, changes in the wholesale power markets,
changes in government regulation of markets and of environmental
emissions, unanticipated outages at our generation facilities, the
inability to access other financing arrangements, the inability to
implement value enhancing improvements to plant operations and
companywide processes, and our ability to create and maintain successful
partnering relationships.

NRG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise. The foregoing review of factors that could cause NRG's actual
results to differ materially from those contemplated in the
forward-looking statements included in this news release should be
considered in connection with information regarding risks and
uncertainties that may affect NRG's future results included in NRG's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

About First Solar

First Solar manufactures solar modules with an advanced semiconductor
technology, and is a premier provider of comprehensive photovoltaic (PV)
system solutions. The company is delivering an economically viable
alternative to fossil-fuel generation today. From raw material sourcing
through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on
creating value-driven renewable energy solutions that protect and
enhance the environment. For more information about First Solar, please
visit www.firstsolar.com.

For First Solar Investors

This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant
to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not
constitute guarantees of future performance. Those statements involve a
number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially,
including risks associated with the company's business involving the
company's products, their development and distribution, economic and
competitive factors and the company's key strategic relationships and
other risks detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. First Solar assumes no obligation to update any
forward-looking information contained in this press release or with
respect to the announcements described herein.